Page 18

“You’re in a good mood.” Nolan sat on the chair next to Tiber, a drink in hand and a scowl on his face.

Tiber glanced at his old friend—who was watching Mia, Octavia and Asa intently. Though Tiber knew the male only had eyes for Octavia and was likely plotting the death of Asa, a kind baker from the castle.

“Why shouldn’t I be?” he murmured, his gaze straying back to Mia. Goddess, he loved watching her, and the shimmery dress she was in literally made her shine. Every time she moved, it sparkled with her. Though he’d love to see her out of it more than anything.

Naked, splayed out on his bed, her legs open for him as he tasted her.

Nolan downed his drink, and leaned back in his chair, making it creak under his weight. “Octavia looks different.” He frowned harder.

“I hope you were smart enough not to say that.” Like he had. “And she looks beautiful.”

“Why the fuck are you noticing?”

Tiber shot his old friend a sideways glance.

“What?”

“Just wondering when you’re finally going to pull your head out of your ass.” He stood, ignoring Nolan’s growl of annoyance and made his way over to the trio at the neighboring table.

Mia’s friends and his had two tables next to each other upon his request, and it was interesting watching the two groups mingle.

Mia smiled at him as he approached, and once again he had to remind himself to breathe. When she looked at him, bestowed that joy in his direction, he wanted to fall to his knees, shove her dress up and make sure she never stopped smiling.

“Asa was just telling us the secret to making perfect bread pudding.”

The male laughed lightly, even that sounding gentle. “It’s not a secret, but you use older bread. Still good, but not soft, it will keep the pudding from getting mushy.”

Tiber genuinely liked Asa. He’d been with the castle for a couple years, having moved into the territory from one of the outer ones.

If this was the male that she was trying to show off for, he was too soft for Octavia.

She would run roughshod over the gentle baker.

It also wasn’t Tiber’s place to say anything.

Octavia smiled at Asa. “I’ll have to try that sometime.”

“Or I can just make it for you.” Asa smiled right back at her.

Mia linked her arm in Tiber’s and murmured something about needing to talk to him.

“What is it?” he asked as they made their way to one of the drink stations, wondering if she’d spotted her ex or something out of the ordinary. He was on high alert but hadn’t seen or scented the vampire since earlier in the woods.

“Oh, nothing. I just wanted to give them some privacy. I can’t tell if that’s who she’s into but thought maybe they wanted to be alone. But I wouldn’t say no to another drink—nothing else with alcohol though. The stuff here packs a punch.”

He nodded as he plucked up a concoction made with fruits from their coldest territory. “I think you’ll like this.”

“Oh my god,” she practically moaned as she took a sip of the light pink drink. “I’ve never had anything like this. Sweet but not too sweet and…” She took another sip and made that same soft moan.

And goddess, he wondered what she would sound like when he buried himself inside her.

He gave her a soft smile, but frowned as he realized Nolan had approached Asa and Octavia and was vibrating with too much energy.

Mia leaned in close to Tiber, lowered her voice. “So is that Octavia’s best friend? The one I’ve heard likes her?”

“Ah…” Tiber glanced around, realized a handful of people from surrounding tables were watching him and Mia.

They all looked the other way when he made eye contact with them—and glared. What was going on? Why was everyone watching them?

“Oh, you don’t have to answer. I’m just being nosy,” she said, leaning in again. Then she swayed into him. Her sweet natural scent made him lightheaded for a moment. Goddess, she was so soft and wonderful. “I think maybe there’s alcohol in this? I’m feeling a little lightheaded.”

He took the outstretched drink, smelled it, winced at the faintest hint of a locally distilled liquor.

It was almost scentless. “You are correct,” he murmured, sliding his arm around her, savoring how good she felt pressed up against him.

“What would you think if we got out of here? Because I think this is going to hit you stronger than you realize.”

“I feel fine, but leaving is probably best. Also, I need to tell you a secret,” she whispered as she motioned for him to bend down.

Tension coiled tight in his abdomen as he leaned down… and she gently touched his nose with a “boop.”

“I’m sorry, I had to,” she said with a light giggle. “You just look so serious. Ooh, you’re right, that stuff really is strong.” She swayed into him again.

So he slid an arm around her and held her close, making it look like he was simply walking with her instead of supporting her.

She held onto him tightly and only once they were walking among the outlying path around the festivities, did he scoop her up into his arms. The trees gave them enough cover that no one else could see them.

She yelped in surprise but then laughed again as if it was hilarious that he was carrying her and oh yeah, she’d had too much to drink. He resisted the urge to bury his face against her neck and just inhale.

“I didn’t think I drank that much,” she said as he hurried along the path. He would put her back on her feet as soon as they neared the public area, but he could make good time this way.

“You’re smaller than the average intended recipient here.”

“Average intended,” she said, dropping her voice and giggling some more.

“Is that how I talk?”

“Kinda. So are you and your dragon like separate entities?” she blurted. “Because you told him to shut up the other day.”

“We are the same but separate.” He had no idea how to explain it, just that it had always been that way.

“Oh, that’s much clearer,” she said with a snort of laughter. She curled up in his arms, her eyes starting to close and he realized that the drinks were hitting her faster than he’d thought. “You smell good.”

His dragon purred softly at that. “I’m going to take a very long way back to my place.”

“Hmm.”

“Can you open your eyes for a moment?”

“They’re open,” she murmured, turning her face into his shoulder. “You smell really good,” she said, inhaling a little deeper.

Oh sweet goddess. “Your eyes are not open,” he rasped out, trying not to focus on how right she felt curled up against him, how her scent was making him crazy—how much he wanted her.

“But I can hear you.”

He just wanted to see her eyes. “Unless you want people to see me carrying you, then I’m going to take a longer route back to my place.”

“I don’t care if… okay, the longer route is good. I don’t want people talking.” She sighed softly, her eyes still closed, and he knew that she was close to falling asleep.

He tried not to care that she didn’t want anyone to see him carry her. He’d given her the choice after all, because he’d known how she would feel. Of course, she wouldn’t want anyone to see her being carried home after an event.

It wasn’t her fault that she hadn’t realized how much alcohol she’d been imbibing. And there should be a sign or something for the fruity concoctions. Those things were potent even for some dragons.

Instead of staying on the well-lit path, he ducked into the woods and circled through the forest around the castle grounds. He’d walked this way many times, usually when he wanted to avoid people.

Which was almost always.

He liked his own people, his friends, or chosen family, as Octavia liked to say. But everyone else he could mostly do without.

Only now, he found he cared far too deeply for the sweet human in his arms. While he was physically stronger than her—

And most dragons , his beast interjected.

He knew that she had the power to break him in a different way. But she was still physically vulnerable, something that kept him up at night. Among other things.

After meeting her ex, he had no doubt that male wished her harm. It had been in every line of his condescending body language, his tone, and the covetous way he looked at Mia.

Charles hadn’t been able to mask that. That vampire wanted her for his own. And the male was deadly, dangerous.

Tiber could easily dispose of him tonight, using the cover of the party, but Juniper wasn’t wrong about creating an incident in the territory.

And tricky things like royals getting murdered or going missing could cause great troubles even decades from now. The Nova realm had opened itself up to outsiders, so it was understood that outsiders would be safe here.

He wouldn’t do anything to the male unless provoked.

But there was nothing stopping Tiber from killing that vampire once he crossed back into New Orleans.

He would tell no one where he was going and wouldn’t let anyone see him.

He would simply have to make sure Charles made it home, made contact with some of his people, and once it was established that he was fully gone from the Nova realm, Tiber would make his move.

Though he would prefer to bring the vampire pain, he would make his kill quick and efficient.

He was a master at remaining invisible when he wanted to.

He paused as Ilmari swooped down next to him, the little dragon chirping happily in greeting. His gray wings almost sparkled under the moonlight as he coasted along.

“Hey, buddy.”

Ilmari chirped again, then swooped directly over Tiber and leaned down to sniff Mia.

He chirped even louder, his wings flapping faster as he started flying circles around them.

It was clear that Ilmari liked Mia.

“You want to stay at my place tonight?” he murmured.

Ilmari chirped twice, making him smile.

“Okay, use the top entrance.” There was an entrance high above his home for any dragons who were welcome, and Ilmari was definitely one of them. “But you have to be quiet tonight because Mia is sleeping. We don’t want to wake her.”

Ilmari made quiet little chirps in response.

Which made Tiber smile. This dragonling was a lot smarter than others gave him credit for.

As he entered his place, he was once again inundated with her scent, which had now started to settle into his place. Exactly where she belonged.

Even if she didn’t realize it yet.